MISHAP TO BRADMAN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 8, 8 December 1936, Page 7

MISHAP TO BRADMAN

ANKLE SLIGHTLY WRENCHED. AUSTRALIA'S UPHILL FIGHT. TRIBUTE TO VOCE. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received December 8, 10.40 a.m. SYDNEY, Dec. 8. The Sydney Morning Herald's cricket writer says: Australia is in a bad position in the first Test, and this fact has made a mishap to Bardman all the moro disturbing. Bradman slipped when leaving the ground and slightly wrenched his ankle. He will probably field today with the ankle strapped, and he is hoping the injury will not seriously attect his batting. England is now 199 runs to the good, with eight wickets in hand. The wicket seems bound to give assistance to the spin bowlers before the match is much further advanced.

Voce bowled England into the winning position when he recorded his greatest performance in a Test by taking five wickets for sixteen runs yesterday, and making his figures for the innings 6 for 41. Australia's tail-enders made a poor showing, and so, as a matter of fact, the last seven batsmen aggregated only 27 runs. Fingleton, playing a lone hand alter McCabo's dismissal, reached his century after 301 minutes. .Mr C G. Macartney, in the Herald, says: Excellent bowling, particularly by Vine, superb fielding, and sound_ wic-ket-keeping enabled England to gain its handsome lead. Yesterday was one of the slowest run-getting days of Test cricket, and while the fielding on both was splendid, and cut down rungetting, the weakness of stroke play and lack of confidence and enterprise were marked. It was, however, a triumphant day for England, and was thoroughly deserved. England has a strong hold on the game, unless it endangers it by the foolish strategic action of poor batting to-morrow. _ Unless Bradman upsets calculations Australia's chances are sinking fast. It is almost unbelievable that nine Australian batsmen could make only 83 runs in 176 minutes yesterday, yet that was the gruesome fact—and Fingleton made nearly half of them! "ALL THEY DESERVED."

From the manner in which the batsmen played, it was all they deserved. Not one plaver made any attempt to take the offensive in an endeavour either to make runs or to destroy the position of superiority which the bowlers had gained. Australian batsmen have seldom been so harassed, and the cricket was funereal. Voce has seldom bowled with such hostility. He maintained a fine pace and accurate length on an easy pitch. England's fielding was grand. FVn<deton played his part more than creditably ; his task was to hold the tort and he held it splendidly. The English batting in the second innings was not sound. Mr Arthur Mailey, in the Daily Telegraph, says: Australia faces defeat m the first Test. Explanations of Aus- . tralia's failure are that Voce bowled ; too well for the batsmen, so that our I men could not take it; Bradman's com- ; parative failure, and Allen's remark- ■ ably fine captaincy.

ENGLISHMEN'S AVEAKNESS.

VIEWS OF ALAN FAIRFAX

Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Dec. 7. The opinion that the English team is a weak international side was expressed by Mr Alan Fairfax, the former Australian international player, who is returning from London, where he has a cricket school. He said the indications favour Australia winning the Test rubber. Mr Fairfax thought the New Zealand team would do well in England next year, provided it had one or two good spin bowlers, as he had observed , that the English batsmen were rather . weak against good spin bowlers.